Binghamton University will host the 16th annual Northeastern Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Conference this weekend.

The conference will span three days — from Friday to Sunday — and will include workshops on rights, challenges and cultural issues facing the LGBT community. It will also feature a drag show with student and professional performers.

The conference’s theme this year, “Knowledge Moving Forward,” is about “personal and societal growth and acceptance,” according to the Northeastern LGBT Conference’s website.

The conference is sponsored by corporations such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, Campus Pride, Human Rights Campaign and Sodexo.

Russell Heiman, assistant director of the conference, said funding for the conference has come from these sponsors as well as from the Rainbow Pride Union’s (RPU) budget.

“I think this is a great accomplishment for Binghamton,” he said. “This conference will give us the chance to show people from all over the Northeast how accepting of the LGBT community our campus is.”

Heiman, who is also director of public relations for RPU, said the group provides social, political and creative outlets for its members to express themselves and to address issues facing the LGBT community, which some also refer to as LGBTQ, the Q standing for queer or questioning.

“We promote education and awareness concerning LGBTQ issues with an emphasis on the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, culture, religion and identity,” he said.

According to information from the conference’s website, “The annual LGBTQ Conference provides an opportunity to network with peers and meet like-minded students throughout the Northeast who are interested in advancing our goals.”

Brittany Kalten, a senior double-majoring in accounting and finance at BU and the director of the conference, expressed confidence in the success of the weekend-long event.

“I think the conference will bring increased understanding and respect for LGBT people from the Binghamton community,” said Kalten, who is also president of the Rainbow Pride Union on campus.

The conference’s agenda includes lectures on healthy relationships, transgender equality, suicide prevention and legal rights. More than 20 schools will be attending and RPU is expecting over 400 people as an audience.

“It has been a ton of work, but I think it will definitely be worth it,” Kalten said of planning for the conference.

RPU’s annual Drag Show will kick off the conference on Friday at the Anderson Center’s Osterhout Concert Theater.

The rest of the weekend’s events will consist of workshops, keynote speakers, presentations and meals.

Frank Torres, a junior double-majoring in financial economics and political science, is the programming director for the conference and special projects coordinator for RPU. He was in charge of finding presenters and keynote speakers.

“A lot of people contacted us,” he said. “We found people that would add something particular to the conference that presenters weren’t doing themselves.”

Torres said he is most excited for presentations from Ernst & Young.

“I’m excited because it’s this big accounting firm caring about LGBT issues,” he said.

Torres said Monday that there were about 50 spaces left for anyone who wanted to register for the conference.

“I think it’s going to do a lot for the Binghamton community,” he said. “Even Mayor Matt Ryan sent us a letter of support. This conference will diversify Binghamton and help bring people to a place they would not have gone to otherwise.”

The conference is free for Binghamton students. The members of RPU will be tabling in the New University Union today and in the Tillman Lobby in the Old University Union on Thursday and Friday so that students can register and pick up tickets. Tickets will also be available in the RPU lounge located in room 302 of the New Union.

A full list of events and registration information is available at www.nelgbtc.com.